BLOOMINGTON – With basketball season approaching, it’s time to take stock of Indiana’s roster.

For the first time in nearly a decade, a coach not named Tom Crean will walk the Assembly Hall home sideline. Archie Miller has an experienced team at his fingertips in Year 1, but must also replace key contributors Thomas Bryant, OG Anunoby and James Blackmon Jr.

In the coming days, we’ll preview the Hoosiers’ roster, player by player, descending by seniority. Today, we start with Collin Hartman.

The Cathedral alum rebounds well, can step out behind the 3-point line effectively and is widely regarded as perhaps the strongest leader in IU’s locker room.

What can the Hoosiers realistically expect from him, after a second major knee surgery? You always have to be cautious, but it’s worth pointing out that a) Hartman came back strong as ever from his first ACL tear, in 2014, and b) he will have had more than a year to recover from this one by the time the season starts.

Sharpshooting needed

Can Hartman restore his accuracy from behind the 3-point line?

Indiana lost Blackmon to the NBA last spring, saying goodbye to its most consistent threat behind the arc. Hartman shot below 36 percent there as a junior, but hit 47.5 percent of his 3s as a sophomore.

Whether the injury affects his accuracy is impossible to say now, but that 47.5 percent number was posted the season after his first knee injury.

The first page of any scouting report on Hartman is still going to include how dangerous he can be if left unguarded on 3s. Indiana needs that this winter.

Final word

Hartman’s return was a boost for Miller and heartening for teammates who consistently referenced how much they felt IU missed him last season. Knee rehab or no, it’s hard to find (and replace) leaders in college basketball, and in Hartman, Indiana has one.

Will he start? Will he come off the bench? So long as he’s healthy, my bet is on the former. It’s worth pointing out that Hartman started 24 of IU’s 35 games during the Hoosiers’ run to the 2016 Big Ten title. His impact is born out in more than statistics, something fans will have learned well over the last three years.

He doesn't need to fill the stat sheet every night. But the Hoosiers sorely missed what Hartman brought last season. Having him back is a win.